HOW MANY OF BRITAIN’S WILD MAMMALS HAVE YOU SEEN?

Wildlife charity People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) is calling on Somerset volunteers to answer this question by taking part in their annual Living with Mammals survey, which asks the public to record sightings of Britain’s wild mammals over a 13-week period, starting on Monday 3 April 2017.

Now in its 15th year, PTES’ Living with Mammals survey relies on members of the public volunteering their time for a few weeks between Monday 3 April and the end of June. Volunteers are required to choose a site close to their home or place of work, and to spend a short time each week looking out for wild mammals or the signs they leave behind. Volunteers can record their sightings online or via paper forms.

David Wembridge, Surveys Officer at PTES, explains: ‘Living with Mammals provides a nationwide picture of how wildlife is faring in our towns and cities. Recording wildlife and tracking how numbers are changing is key to ongoing efforts to conserve it. One thing to come out of this survey is the surprising number of different mammals present in urban areas. Some are only rare visitors to our gardens and parks, but if we can encourage that diversity, it’s a good indication of the natural health of our towns and cities.’

Last year, grey squirrels were recorded at seven out of every ten sites (69.4%), making them the most commonly reported wild mammal in the survey. But grey squirrels are just one of the 28 wild mammal species that have been recorded during Living with Mammals. Over the survey’s 15-year history, mammal sightings range from smaller species such as wood mice, water voles and hedgehogs, to much larger species including deer, badgers, foxes and otters.